U.S. patent number 5,522,115 [Application Number 08/442,852] was granted by the patent office on 1996-06-04 for blower vacuum.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Black & Decker Inc.. Invention is credited to Craig D. Webster.
United States Patent |
5,522,115 |
Webster |
June 4, 1996 |
Blower vacuum
Abstract
A blower vacuum unit for selective operation in a blower mode
and in a suction mode, comprises: a housing having means forming an
air inlet and means forming an air outlet; a motor carried within
the housing, an impeller rotatably driven by the motor and
positioned for drawing air into the housing through the air inlet
and discharging the air from the housing through the air outlet; a
debris collection conduit one end of which conduit is an operating
end and the other end of which conduit is adapted for attachment to
a debris collection container and means for generating an entrained
air flow, using the air discharged through the air outlet, at the
operating end of the debris collection conduit into the debris
conduit. The housing and the debris collection conduit comprise
separate components and the conduit is adapted to be releasably
mounted on the housing so that the operating end of the conduit is
located for co-operation with the air outlet of the housing.
Inventors: |
Webster; Craig D. (Jesmond,
GB) |
Assignee: |
Black & Decker Inc.
(Newark, DE)
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Family
ID: |
10755311 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/442,852 |
Filed: |
May 17, 1995 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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May 18, 1994 [GB] |
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9409909 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/330; 15/338;
15/344; 15/405; 15/409 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L
5/14 (20130101); A47L 9/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
5/14 (20060101); A47L 5/12 (20060101); A47L
9/08 (20060101); A47L 9/02 (20060101); A47L
005/18 () |
Field of
Search: |
;15/330,405,344,409,338 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
0114114 |
|
Jul 1984 |
|
EP |
|
0198654 |
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Oct 1986 |
|
EP |
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0443882 |
|
Aug 1991 |
|
EP |
|
0587272 |
|
Mar 1994 |
|
EP |
|
Primary Examiner: Moore; Chris K.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Yocum; Charles E. Dearing; Dennis
A. Del Ponti; John D.
Claims
I claim:
1. A blower vacuum unit for selective operation in a blower mode
and in a suction mode, comprising:
a housing having means forming an air inlet and means forming an
air outlet;
a motor carried within said housing,
an impeller rotatably driven by said motor and positioned for
drawing air into said housing through said air inlet and
discharging said air from said housing through said air outlet;
a debris collection conduit one end of which conduit is an
operating end and the other end of which conduit is adapted for
attachment to a debris collection container and
means for generating an entrained air flow, using the air
discharged through said air outlet, at said operating end of said
debris collection conduit into said debris conduit, wherein
said housing and said debris collection conduit comprise separate
components and said conduit is adapted to be releasably mounted on
said housing so that said operating end of the conduit is located
for co-operation with said air outlet of said housing and wherein
the housing, motor and impeller operate in a suction mode when said
debris collection conduit is mounted thereon, and in a blower mode
when said debris collection conduit is not mounted thereon.
2. A blower vacuum unit according to claim 1 wherein said unit
further comprises a debris collection container.
3. A blower vacuum unit according to claim 1 wherein said debris
collection conduit and said debris collection container together
comprise a single component.
4. A blower vacuum unit according to claim 1 wherein said unit
further comprises a switch arrangement so that said unit can
selectively be used in the blowing or collecting mode with said
debris conduit attached.
5. A blower vacuum unit according to claim 1 wherein said debris
collection container is free-standing when detached from said
blower unit.
6. A blower vacuum unit according to claim 1 wherein a seal is
provided between said operating end of the debris collection
conduit and said housing.
7. A blower vacuum unit according to claim 6 wherein said seal is a
resilient material.
8. A blower vacuum according to claim 1 further comprising means
for comminution of the debris collected.
9. A blower vacuum unit according to claim 8 wherein said means for
comminution of the debris is located within said debris
conduit.
10. A blower unit comprising:
a housing having means forming an air inlet and means forming an
air outlet;
a motor carried within said housing, and
an impeller rotatably driven by said motor and positioned for
drawing air into said housing through said air inlet and
discharging said air from said housing through said air outlet;
wherein said housing is provided with means for releasably mounting
a debris collection conduit, one end of which conduit is an
operating end and the other end of which conduit is adapted for
attachment to a debris collection container so that said operating
end of the conduit is located for co-operation with said air outlet
of said housing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a debris collecting apparatus, in
particular a garden debris collecting apparatus, of the kind which
may be used either in a vacuum mode to suck debris into the
apparatus or in a blowing mode to discharge a stream of air from a
nozzle so that debris can be blown into piles.
Such debris collecting apparatus is already known. In one such
apparatus, according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,163, a centrifugal
impeller is used to take in air through an inlet and blow it
through an outlet. In the vacuum mode, debris passes through the
impeller, which will inevitably result in wear to the impeller,
even though a chopping blade may be mounted on the impeller shaft
immediately upstream of the impeller.
It is also known, for example from European Patent No 114,114, to
provide a debris collection apparatus in which an impeller is used
to create an entrained air flow. In the vacuum mode, debris is
picked up in this entrained air flow and carried via a duct to a
collecting bag. The debris does not pass through the impeller, thus
reducing wear and tear to the impeller. Such a system, however,
does have the disadvantage that where the apparatus is being used
in the blowing mode, and it is not desired to collect debris, the
collecting bag and duct are still attached to the blower, which
makes the apparatus heavier and less manoeuvrable for the user.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a debris
collecting apparatus in which the above disadvantages are reduced
or substantially obviated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention therefore provides:
a blower vacuum unit for selective operation in a blower mode and
in a suction mode, comprising:
a housing having means forming an air inlet and an air outlet;
a motor carried within the housing,
an impeller rotatably driven by the motor and positioned for
drawing air into the housing through the air inlet and discharging
the air from the housing through the air outlet;
a debris collection conduit one end of which conduit is an
operating end and the other end of which conduit is adapted for
attachment to a debris collection container and
means for generating an entrained air flow, using the air
discharged through the air outlet at the operating end of the
debris collection conduit into the debris conduit characterised in
that
the housing and the debris collection conduit comprise separate
components and the conduit is adapted to be releasably mounted on
the housing so that the operating end of the debris conduit is
located for co-operation to the air outlet of the housing.
If it is desired that the collection apparatus can be selectively
used in the blowing mode with the debris conduit attached, then a
switch arrangement, known per se, may be provided by which the
apparatus can be converted from the blowing to the collecting
mode.
The present invention further provides a blower vacuum unit for
selective operation in a blower mode and in a suction mode,
comprising:
a housing having means forming an air inlet and an air outlet;
a motor carried within the housing,
an impeller rotatably driven by the motor and positioned for
drawing air into the housing through the air inlet and discharging
the air from the housing through the air outlet;
a debris collection conduit one end of which conduit is an
operating end and the other end of which conduit is adapted for
attachment to a debris collection container and
means for generating an entrained air flow, using the air
discharged through the air outlet, at the operating end of the
debris collection conduit into the debris conduit characterised in
that
the housing and the debris collection conduit comprise separate
components and the conduit is adapted to be releasably mounted on
the housing so that the operating end of the conduit is located for
co-operation with the air outlet of the housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An embodiment of a debris collection apparatus according to the
invention will now be further described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the apparatus with the debris conduit
and debris collection container attached and;
FIG. 2 is a view of the apparatus partially in section with the
debris conduit and debris collection container positioned for
attachment to the blower unit.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As can be seen from FIG. 1, a blower vacuum unit (2) comprises a
blower housing (4) and a debris collection unit (6). The blower
housing (4) comprises slits (8) forming an air inlet and a nozzle
(10) forming an air outlet.
A motor (12) is located within the housing (4) and an impeller (14)
is mounted for rotation on an output shaft (16) of the motor,
adjacent to the air inlet slits (8).
The air inlet slits (8) are located at one end of the housing (4)
with the outlet nozzle (10) located at the far end. The slits (8)
and nozzle (10) are connected by a conduit portion (18) of the
housing (4).
A handle (20) is mounted n the housing (4) at the end of the
conduit portion (18) remote from the nozzle (10), and an on/off
switch (22) controlling the supply of electrical power to the motor
(12) is provided in this handle.
The debris collection unit (6) comprises a debris collection
conduit (24) and collection bag (26). The conduit (24) is shaped at
one end (26) to provide a socket (28) to receive the nozzle (10) of
the blower housing (4). The socket (28) is connected via a
deflecting surface (30) into the debris collection conduit
(24).
Releasable clip means (32) is provided to secure the blower housing
(4) to the collection unit (6).
As can be seen from FIG. 2, the blower housing 4 is detachable from
the debris collection unit 6. In order to attach the blower housing
(4) to the debris collection unit (6), the nozzle (10) of the
housing (4) is located in the socket (28) and the clip mechanism
(32) engaged.
A seal preferably made of a resilient material such as an O-ring or
foam ring is suitably provided in the socket (28) to improve the
sealing between the nozzle (10) and the socket (28).
The deflecting surface (30) may be provided with a switch means
(not shown) by which the air flow can be selectively directed
either to create a vacuum flow or as a blower, when the collection
unit (6) is attached to the housing (4).
* * * * *